1 day, 8 Hours, 34 Minutes
by NCISMcGee
Summary: When an old enemy, thought long dead, abducts Callen can the team find him before time runs out? MAJOR violence and language. No pairings.
1. Chapter 1

There are two important things to know about this story. One, Dom is still alive and was never kidnapped. Two, Callen's shooting has not been solved. (So basically I have totally ignored most of the first season…)

Be prepared for major Callen torture and a bunch of swearing. I toyed with rating this 'M' but decided to go with 'T'. No real spoilers, no pairings.

The first 10 chapters are written in 'blocks' that are represented by the time that passes leading up to Callen being found. Hence the title…

Don't own them either (damn…) (Although I wouldn't mind a life size replica of Chris O'Donnell for Christmas…)

Oh yeah, last night's season premier was AWESOME!

Thanks for reading!

_NCIS_NCIS_NCIS

_Monday- 3:35 pm_

Sam, Callen and Kensi were driving back to the Ops center discussing possible motives for their most recent murder. Sam was driving, Callen was in the passenger seat and Kensi was in the back. Sam had noticed a white van that had been following them for a while.

Callen noticed Sam was too preoccupied with looking in the rear view mirror to really listen to his theory.

"Something wrong Sam?"

"Yeah, I think we're being followed."

"Are you sure?"

Before Sam could answer, the Escalade was slammed into on the driver's side as they went through an intersection.

Kensi was the only one not knocked out but she had hit her head and was dazed. Her vision was blurry and her ears were ringing. She could make out Sam slumped in his seat with blood running down his face from the gash on his forehead.

She heard voices but couldn't quite tell what they were saying. It didn't sound like they were speaking English. At first she thought it was the paramedics, but she hadn't heard any sirens.

Kensi tried to see if Callen was all right and had just moved around to look when she saw him being pulled from the car. She was confused. Before she could process what was going on she heard a heavy door slam and tires squealing on the street. She opened her door and stepped out then promptly passed out on the pavement.

**NCIS**

_Monday- 3:50 pm_

Callen's head throbbed as he came to. He tried to move and everything spun. Taking in a somewhat deep breath, he tried to calm himself and remember what had happened. He recalled Sam saying something about being followed then a huge crash. He vaguely remembered hitting his head pretty hard against the side of the truck then everything went black.

Trying to move again, he found his hands cuffed tightly behind his back, his feet tied together and a piece of duct tape over his mouth. His heart was pounding and he was shaking like a leaf. The sticky warmth running down the side of his face assured him that he had hit his head hard enough to make a nice sized gash.

He could tell he was in the back of a moving vehicle and tried to look around as best he could. It looked like a large van with no windows, maybe a cargo van. Callen could hear muffled voices coming from the front, but couldn't make out what was being said. After what felt like forever, the van stopped and he listened as the people in the front got out and walked to the back.

Squinting against the light when the door was opened, he heard a low almost growling laugh. His eyes widened when he saw his captor. It was impossible; he was supposed to be dead.

"What's the matter, look like you've seen a ghost," the accented voice said.

The man laughed again and grabbed Callen by the collar of his shirt and pulled him out of the van. G hit the ground with a thud, causing his body to hurt worse. His thoughts were cut short when he was kicked in the stomach. He groaned in pain and tried to struggle as he was being drug across the ground.

Callen was dumped on the porch of a house and he could hear the other two people laughing. He tried desperately to look around and see anything that would help him figure out where he was. Another sharp kick to his ribs stopped that process before he could get a good look at anything.

He could hear a door opening then he was dragged across the floor and down a flight of stairs. When they reached the bottom of the stairs, he was thrown against the wall and punched repeatedly. He thought for sure he was dead. Despite his best efforts to control his panic, he was still trembling and breathing erratically. His captor laughed again.

"Don't worry, I'm not going to kill you. Not yet anyway. You're not getting off that easy."

With that, he proceeded to beat the living hell out of Callen.

Being bound, G didn't stand a chance. He couldn't even yell because of the tape. By the time he hit the floor he was hyperventilating and could feel fresh blood running down his face. The fire in his side assured him he had some cracked ribs too. He struggled for air as he lay curled up in pain on the hard floor.

"Goodnight Callen."

A sharp boot kick to the head once again sent him into darkness.


	2. Chapter 2

_Monday- 5:20 pm_

Sam groaned as he woke up.

"Sam, can you hear me?"

"Yeah Nate, I can hear you. What the hell happened?"

"You were in an accident Mr. Hannah," came Hetty's voice.

"Is that why I feel like hell?"

"I would imagine so. Your SUV was t-boned by a truck as you passed through an intersection. You have some bruised ribs, a broken wrist and a few stitches in your head."

Sam sighed then suddenly his eyes popped open.

"Wait a minute; G and Kensi were in the car too!"

"Yeah we were."

He looked to see Kensi standing in the doorway with a dark bruise on the right side of her face.

"You okay Kensi?"

"Just a little banged up. I have a mild concussion."

"What about G?"

The three of them looked uncomfortable.

"We don't know," Nate responded.

"What do you mean you don't know? Isn't he here?"

Hetty shook her head. "That's the thing, he's not. Mr. Callen was abducted from the accident scene."

"What?"

Kensi moved closer to the bed. "I remember seeing Callen being pulled from the car, but I was so dizzy. Witnesses say they saw three people in ski masks throwing him into a white van with no plates. And there is one other thing I remember."

Sam gave her an expectant look.

"At first it didn't register, but now that I've had time to sort things out I realize whoever took Callen wasn't speaking English. I'm pretty sure it was Russian."

Sam tried to get up from the bed.

"Whoa, where are you going?" Nate asked as he tried to stop Sam.

It was a useless gesture as Sam groaned in pain and lay back down.

"I was going to go look for G."

"In case you haven't realized Mr. Hannah, you have a fairly bad concussion and some broken bones. You need to stay here so they can observe you."

"The hell with that. I am not laying here while my partner is missing. Especially if the Russians are involved. In case you forgot we're pretty sure they are the ones that gunned him down last year."

"I do remember Mr. Hannah. You will do Mr. Callen no good if you pass out in the middle of the investigation. You will stay put," Hetty said sternly.

Sam mumbled something under his breath and Nate couldn't help the small smile on his face despite the circumstances.

"What about his cell phone? Have you tried tracking that?"

"It was found on the ground just outside the car door at the accident scene," Nate responded.

Sam made a frustrated sound.

"Eric is combing through security cams and Dom is interviewing the witnesses. So far we don't have anything, but they just got started," Kensi said quietly.

Sam nodded slightly. He wasn't thrilled with the prospect of lying in a hospital bed, helpless, while his best friend was being held hostage.

"I assure you Mr. Hannah, we have all of our resources working on this. We are going to find him," Hetty told Sam.

Sam just made a noise and continued to frown.

After Hetty spoke to the doctor and was told Sam would be kept overnight for observation, she threatened him that he would not be allowed anywhere near the Ops center if he tried to leave early. Sam finally gave up and promised Hetty he would stay put.

Hetty, Nate and Kensi all left the hospital around seven. Despite her protests, Hetty made Kensi go home for the night to get some rest. In light of the day's events, Hetty had an unmarked car posted in front of Kensi's house. After seeing that she was safely inside, Hetty and Nate went back to headquarters to help Eric and Dom in the search for their missing agent.

**NCIS**

_Monday-9:10 pm_

Callen had been drifting in and out of consciousness for a while. During the few moments of coherent thought he had, he realized he had one hell of a concussion. He had tried to move the first time he woke up and discovered it was not a good idea. He had to close his eyes and fight off the pounding in his head if he even shifted slightly. His head was swimming and his body ached horribly.

By now it was pitch black and he could feel the cold cement floor under him. He realized his shirt was gone and he was barefoot. The tape was gone from his mouth but his hands were still cuffed, in front of him now, and he was still bound at the ankles. His watch was also gone. G didn't want to admit to himself that he was truly afraid and tried to keep from shaking without much success. What the hell was going on? He thought for sure the bastard was dead. And he called him Callen. How did he know his real name? How the hell did he find him? He never thought he would have to see his face again.

His thoughts drifted to his friends at OSP. They were definitely looking for him; they would do everything they could to find him. Hopefully it would be soon. He wasn't looking forward to dealing with the maniac holding him captive. Callen began to feel dizzy again and tried to fight it but faded into a fitful slumber once again.


	3. Chapter 3

Thanks for the reviews. To follow up on the one I got, the reason for Callen's reaction to his captor will soon be revealed.

Thanks again!

_NCIS_NCIS_NCIS

_Tuesday- 6:00 am_

Eric stared at the video monitor like all the answers were going to fall into place any second now. He had pulled an all-nighter and his eyes were beginning to blur from exhaustion. He had scoured the area of the accident and the surrounding neighborhood for any cameras that he might be able to get a glimpse of the white van from. He had footage from traffic cameras, store security cameras, ATM cameras and even the dashboard cameras from several LAPD squad cars. He was slightly afraid Hetty was going to question him on how he had obtained those, but didn't really care if it helped them find Callen.

He heard quiet footsteps behind him and turned to see Kensi standing there staring at the screen.

"Hey Kensi, I thought you were on medical leave."

She frowned at him. "Yeah, right. Just like I'm sure Sam will go home when he's released from the hospital."

Eric nodded knowing no one would truly rest until Callen was home.

"So have you found anything yet?"

Before he could answer, Nate came into the room looking just as tired as Eric felt. He, too, had been there all night.

"Well, the U-Haul that hit you guys was reported stolen two days ago from a lot here in LA. Unfortunately their security cameras are broken and they have no footage, so that's pretty much a dead end. The van has no plates and the three people involved were all wearing ski masks so no help there either. I can tell all three of them are white and judging by their heights and builds it's safe to say they were all men. So that narrows it down to only a few million people."

Eric gave a frustrated sigh.

"Don't give up Eric. If anyone can find us something it's you," Nate said.

**NCIS**

_Tuesday- 7:05 am_

As Callen's eyes fluttered open once again, he groaned in pain. The sun was beginning to come up, casting a little light into the small windows of the room he was in. He took in his surroundings. There wasn't much in the room, just a small table by the door and a few boxes in the far corner. Judging by the rough stone walls, the cement floor and the height and size of the windows, he figured he was still in the basement. He was still bound and laying on the floor. At least his head felt better and he wasn't quite as nauseous anymore. He was still cold and when he shivered, his body ached causing him to moan again.

Callen didn't hear the door open.

"So, what are you thinking about Agent Callen?"

G's eyes sprung open and he glared at his captor, who was standing just inside the doorway. His mouth was so dry as he swallowed and forced out his response.

"Honestly, I'm thinking about kicking your ass."

"Yeah, keep dreaming."

"Where are your buddies?"

"They're around; I don't need them at the moment."

"What do you want from me Sergei?"

"You disappoint me G. A smart man like you should have already figured that out."

"Only my friends get to call me G you asshole."

Sergei smirked at Callen. "You think you're funny huh?"

Callen watched nervously as Sergei picked up a chain from the table and walked towards him.

"You want to be funny?"

G bit his lip as the cuffs dug into his wrists as he was yanked up from the floor. The chain was put between Callen's hands at the cuffs and the end was tossed over a pipe running across the ceiling. Callen grimaced, knowing what was coming next. The chain was pulled tight until Callen's feet were off the floor then secured with a padlock, leaving G dangling like a fish on a hook. The cuffs dug deep into his wrists and his hands were already beginning to go numb.

"Think it's funny now?" Sergei taunted as he stalked around Callen.

Suddenly, Callen's head was pulled back and a knife was at his throat.

"No more games Callen!"

G swallowed hard and tried to keep from trembling.

"You fucking left me for dead! I spent ten years in that fucking hell hole! Ten years! You put me there Callen. You asked what I want, I want to take that ten years out of your ass you son of a bitch!"

The blade pressed harder into Callen's neck and he could feel the sharp steel slice his skin. A small trickle of blood ran down his chest.

"Do you know what they did to me in that prison Callen? Huh? Do you know?"

G was afraid to move. The cuffs dug deeper into his wrists, his arms burned from holding his entire weight. The blade continued to press into his neck. He managed to croak out an answer.

"No."

Callen breathed a sigh of relief when the knife was taken away.

"Don't worry, I'm going to show you."

G watched as Sergei walked out the door then returned a few seconds later with something in his hand. He couldn't tell exactly what it was.

Sergei walked towards G again, unraveling the leather whip along the way. G's stomach tightened at the thought of what was about to happen.

"Jesus man, whatever you're thinking…"

"Shut the fuck up Callen!"

He disappeared out of Callen's sight as he walked behind him.

"Do you know what they did to us as 'punishment' Callen?"

G heard the crack of the whip before he felt it. It struck his back with such force he jerked forward, pulling harshly on his already sore arms and wrists. He bit back the yell that was threatening to escape. He was determined not to break.

"I rotted in that shit hole for ten years!"

Another blow hit his back.

"Every damn day I was given my punishment!"

He struck Callen again and again, each time the pain increased as he struck harder. The lashes became even more forceful and Callen had to fight hard not to cry out. He wasn't going to give him the satisfaction.

"You're going to suffer just like I did!"

Angry red welts marred Callen's back and the whip was now beginning to break his skin. After a few more blows, he could feel the blood running down his back and soaking into the waistband of his jeans.

His captor walked around to face Callen. G's face was pale and covered in a sheen of sweat and his lip was bleeding from biting it so hard in an effort not to scream.

"So, you give yet?"

Callen spit at him which earned him a hard punch in the face.

"Go to hell you fucker," Callen yelled at him.

Sergei flicked the whip sharply at Callen's face. He pulled it back but it caught him just below his right eye. Blood trickled down his face. He repeated the motion, this time catching his chin. He almost let out a moan as the cuffs dug into his wrists, which were now raw and beginning to bleed. He felt like his shoulders were being pulled out of their sockets. He tried to breathe deeply, fighting not to hyperventilate.

"Come on now G, all you have to do is say please."

"NO!"

The whip slapped across Callen's chest, then his stomach, causing fresh cuts to open up. He closed his eyes and fought down the urge to vomit. It hurt so badly. Even being shot five times hadn't hurt this much. He wanted to scream but was determined not to.

"Fuck you, you'll have to kill me you bastard."

Sergei walked behind him again and pulled the whip back.

"Don't worry, you'll be begging me for mercy by the time I'm done."

Sergei smashed the whip hard across Callen's back. He jerked at the impact and a small moan slipped from his lips when he felt his right wrist snap. The whip pounded into his back a couple of more times and Callen began to feel light headed, then his body went limp as he passed out.


	4. Chapter 4

Wow! I am stunned at the response to this story. Thanks so much!

Also, I realized I made a big boo-boo in the first few chapters. I spelled Sam's last name wrong. That was my 'duh' moment for this story. I have fixed all the other chapters I have typed up. Sorry!

_NCIS_NCIS_NCIS

_Tuesday- 10:25 am_

Kensi sighed for what seemed like the thousandth time that morning. Dom looked up from the witness statements he was re-reading for what he felt was the hundredth time.

It was no surprise that everyone was getting frustrated by all the dead ends they were hitting.

"This is so useless," Kensi growled in frustration as she slammed the police report down on her desk. "What good does it do to dust a U-Haul truck for prints? That thing has been rented dozens of times and has literally been from here to Oklahoma! The only hits we got off any of them were from a school teacher in Arizona, a college student with an arrest for public indecency and a guy in Detroit who is currently in jail for domestic abuse."

"I know, the witness statements aren't much better," Dom said. "Three people in black ski masks driving a white van with no tags. That's so helpful," he said sarcastically.

Kensi took a deep breath and stood up to stretch. She glanced over to where Nate was napping on the couch. After being up all night, he finally crashed about forty-five minutes before. Hetty had gone to the hospital to pick Sam up after he called and told her the doctor had released him. Eric was still upstairs reviewing the footage he had from the scene over and over again. He was now in the process of trying to back track the van and the U-Haul to see where they came from before the crash.

She looked at Callen's empty desk then looked at her watch. He had been gone for eighteen hours and fifty minutes. Time was definitely not on their side for this one.

**NCIS**

_Tuesday- 11:30 am_

Callen cursed when he woke up again. The pain was almost unbearable. His body burned like he was on fire, his ribs ached and his arms hurt terribly. He was sticky with the now drying blood on his body and was lying in a small pool of the same. His face hurt, his right eye nearly swollen shut between the gash he got during his initial attack and the new one he was just given. He thought his head was going to explode from throbbing so hard. At least he was lying on the floor again and not hanging from the chain. His wrist was killing him. It had swollen from being broken and the cuffs were now so tight he couldn't feel his fingers.

His arms were stretched above him, the chain now being used to secure him to a pipe running up the wall. He didn't think it was possible to hurt so badly. He tried to listen, to hear if anyone was in the house. It was hard to hear over the harsh sound of his own breathing and the pounding in his ears, but he didn't hear any movement. Callen tried to stay focused, but his mind wandered. So many thoughts ran through his head. He tried to determine how long he had been missing. He remembered being taken sometime yesterday afternoon. Was it yesterday? He had faded in and out so much he wasn't even sure what day it was. It was completely light out now, late morning maybe? Early afternoon?

He could see the team in his mind, searching, frantic, and determined to find him. They would never give up, he knew them too well.

He tried to ignore how thirsty he was and the rumbling of his stomach.

What else was going to happen to him? Would his team find him in time? He lay in silence consumed by his thoughts.


	5. Chapter 5

_Tuesday- 12: 50 pm_

Sam and Hetty walked into the Ops center together to find Kensi, Dom and Nate sitting in the bullpen.

All three of them glanced up as Sam sat down at his desk. He had five stitches just above his left eyebrow and a bright white plaster cast on his left wrist. He did not look like a happy camper. Hetty stood just inside the area.

"Anything new?" he asked in a grumpy voice.

"We've been reviewing the police reports and witness statements from the accident and also the information related to Callen's shooting last year. Nothing seems to link up," Kensi replied.

"So basically we have squat."

"Look Sam, we're doing the best we can right now," she answered indignantly.

Sam sighed. "I know, I'm sorry. I'm just really mad right now. I know you guys have been working your asses off and I just feel so useless right now." He lifted the cast off the desk to make his point.

"Don't feel like that Sam."

Sam smiled just slightly. "So there aren't any indications that the two cases are connected?"

Kensi shook her head.

Nate spoke up. "Has anyone stopped to think we might be looking in the wrong direction?"

"What?" Dom asked.

"I don't think this was the same bunch that gunned Callen down last year. Why would they kidnap him instead of killing him?"

Sam gave him a glare.

"Hear me out Sam. Think about it. If they wanted Callen dead, why didn't they just finish him off at the scene? Also, if this was a professional hit why leave two federal agents alive as possible witnesses? This is too sloppy to be a hit. I think we need to change directions, look back over Callen's ops and see if there is someone out there with a grudge."

"Mr. Getz does have a point. If this was the same group of Russians all three of you would be dead right now," Hetty stated quietly. "We need to pull Mr. Callen's case files and start looking."

"Hetty, that's hundreds of ops, hundreds, if not thousands, of possible suspects. Not to mention G worked for three other federal agencies before he landed here. Do you think the DEA, CIA and FBI are going to just hand over classified information on ops that supposedly didn't happen? Not to mention Callen isn't exactly their favorite agent. We don't have time for this. G doesn't have time for this. The clock is ticking Hetty."

"I know Mr. Hanna. We have to start somewhere though. Ms. Blye said the suspects were speaking Russian, that's a start to narrow down the possibilities. Besides, I have some friends who owe me a few favors."

Sam shook his head, he was really pissed. What good was paperwork going to do for Callen? Even with Hetty's connections, this was going to take way too long.

**NCIS**

_Tuesday- 5:45 pm_

Callen continued to fade in and out. He was happy that no one had inflicted any more pain. His mind was still racing with ideas, he kept wondering what Sergei was going to come up with next. He knew it was only a matter of time before he came back. His body began to shake as he thought of how he was going to die. He knew it was going to be slow and very painful. His eyes shot open when he heard Sergei's taunting voice.

"What' s the matter G, thought you tough federal agents didn't cry. Are you scared?"

"I wasn't crying asshole."

"Whatever you say."

Callen watched as Sergei walked towards him and flinched as he squatted down next to him and slapped him hard across the face.

"Don't lie to me Callen. I know you're scared shitless right now."

"Don't flatter yourself."

Callen gasped for air when his captor grabbed him by the throat and began to choke him. Finding strength he didn't think he had, he began to struggle against his hold.

"Come on now Callen, you know what I'm capable of. You saw it first hand."

"Get the fuck off of me! I swear to God I'm going to kill you!"

Sergei let go and laughed. He slapped Callen again.

"I doubt that. You should save your energy; you're going to need it. I told you, I'm not going to stop until you beg me for mercy."

"And I told you that you would have to kill me first you sick fucker. I'm not giving you the satisfaction."

"Come on, your partner gave in all those years ago."

Anger surged in Callen. "Shut up! Don't you fucking dare bring him up! You son of a bitch, I thought I killed you ten years ago, I can't wait to finish the job."

He laughed and backhanded Callen one last time, splitting his already abused bottom lip. "Yeah right. Have it your way. We'll just see how much you can take, if you last longer than your pal Jack."

Callen was really pissed now, he had to think. He watched Sergei storm out of the room. He could taste the blood from his lip and spit to rid his mouth of the coppery taste.

A few minutes later Sergei returned to the room and Callen could tell he had something behind his back.

"So you think you can fuck with me Callen?"

He squatted down next to Callen again and placed a container of salt on the floor. Callen involuntarily tried to squirm further away knowing what he was planning. He tried to brace himself as he watched Sergei open the salt and pour some in his hand. G knew this was going to sting like hell.

"You thought I was kidding when I said I was going to make you beg me."

He began to sprinkle a light layer across Callen's chest causing him to fidget at the stinging sensation.

"I think instead of just making you beg me to stop…"

He poured another hand full of salt.

"I'm going to make you beg me to kill you."

Sergei took the salt and rubbed it harshly into Callen's chest and stomach causing Callen to twist and turn in agony.

"I want to hear you crying like the little bitch that you are. Just like your little pussy of a partner. He wasn't much of a challenge. Gave up before it got fun."

Another handful of salt was rubbed into the cut under his eye causing Callen to curse.

"Fuck you, you bastard!"

Sergei laughed and stood up then kicked G hard in the ribs, causing him to groan and double up in pain, exposing his back.

Callen couldn't help but to let out a howl of pain as salt was poured across his battered and bloody back.

He could hear laughter. "See G, you don't play games with me. I promise you, you're going to wish you were dead by the time I'm done with you."

Callen bit back a sob that was threatening to escape as Sergei left the room and began to pray to Gods he didn't even believe in that his team would hurry and find him.

_NCIS_NCIS_NCIS

A/N: I read somewhere in a character profile that Callen had been tossed out of the DEA, CIA and FBI before working for NCIS. Judging by his reaction to Trent Kort this past season, I think the CIA is a good possibility… Not really sure, but I used it anyway.

Oh yeah, I don't own U-Haul either. Never even rented one of their trucks…


	6. Chapter 6

Hello all! Thanks so much for the feedback. Please don't worry about upsetting me. Truthfully, I think I'm realizing I wrote this story backwards. The backstory comes more towards the end. I was trying to make it suspensful as far as 'why is Callen so afraid?' and I think I screwed it up. Oh well, we live and learn. I'll finish posting it all since it is written and you guys are reading, but I really don't know if I'm going to go on with the next part. We shall see. If I do it won't be for a while as I probably will go back and re-write the whole thing.

Thanks again for taking the time to read and review!

_NCIS_NCIS_NCIS_

_Tuesday- 6:27 pm_

Eric had finally passed out around six after being awake for over twenty-four hours. He was currently asleep on the couch in the break room.

Sam had gone for a short walk to try and clear his head and when he returned he walked into the bullpen to find a mountain of paperwork.

Kensi, Nate and Dom were all sorting the mess into several smaller piles.

"So, what's all this?" he asked glancing around at the mess.

"Case files," Kensi replied. "Finally got them from the records vault. These are the ones that haven't been transferred to the digital files yet."

"How far back?"

"Three and a half years, since Callen started working here."

"Well, G and I have been partners for a little over two years so I pretty much know all his ops since then."

"Yeah, we're starting with the older ones hoping something might pop out. God, who taught these people how to file things? There is no order to these what so ever!"

"We are sorting them into piles, pulling out the ones that meet the criteria of this situation," Nate said as he tossed another file into a box labeled 'NO'.

"The ones that are too far out of the scope go into the 'no' box. The ones that are a pretty good match are going on my desk and the ones that are 'maybe' go on Kensi's desk," Dom said as he placed another file on his desk.

"What do you want me to do?" Sam asked.

"Start looking through the ones on Dom's desk. See if you can come up with anything interesting," Kensi told him.

"Where's Hetty?"

"She's on a conference call with Director Vance and Agent Gibbs," Nate said.

Sam nodded and sat down at Dom's desk and took a file off the top of the pile.

It was going to be a long night.

**NCIS**

_Tuesday- 7:50 pm_

G had been listening to Sergei for the last couple of hours. He could hear him pacing the floor upstairs, ranting and raving in Russian about what he was going to do to him. Sergei stomped through the house, throwing things, breaking things. Callen kept trying to desperately think of a way out. He knew Sergei was insane, but now it seemed he had really gone off the deep end. He forced himself to stay calm despite the agony he was in. He was scared to death but he swore he wasn't going to cave in.

He could hear heavy footsteps coming down the steps and panicked knowing Sergei was coming for him. Sergei stormed into the room and kicked Callen in the stomach.

"How you doing there G?"

Callen didn't answer, he just glared at Sergei. He was rewarded with another sharp kick. Callen felt sick.

"I asked you a question!"

Another kick to his ribs caused him to groan when he felt his rib snap and a burning pain took over his body. Hit bit back the urge to scream and fought off the nausea that washed over him. He tried to pull his knees up to protect his abdomen, but it took too much effort.

"Fuck you Sergei."

"So you still want to play tough, huh? We'll see just how tough you are."

He kicked G one more time before walking out of the room. G couldn't fight the nausea anymore and managed to roll slightly to the side before he threw up. Besides the usual nasty taste that came with vomiting, he could also tell he was throwing up blood. His broken rib must have hit something. He spit again to try and rid the taste from his mouth without much success. He could hear Sergei stomping up the steps and wondered what he was going to do to him next.


	7. Chapter 7

_Tuesday- 9:14 pm_

After a two hour nap, Eric had returned to the video footage to keep looking for anything that might help. He had just been sent some new material from a camera across the street from the lot where the U-Haul was stolen from.

Hetty walked past his work area and went down the stairs to the bullpen.

"Sergei Alexandrov."

"Who?" Sam asked as he put a file down and rubbed his eyes.

"Alexandrov tortured and killed a CIA operative when Mr. Callen was working in Russia for the CIA a little over ten years ago. He was presumed dead after Callen shot him eight times. However, it was never confirmed as the body was left behind when the extraction team pulled the rest of Callen's team out. Alexandrov has, in fact, been in a Russian prison camp up until two weeks ago. He escaped then dropped off the radar and managed to get out of Russia and into the states. The CIA found out about him three days ago."

"And they didn't think to warn G?" Sam bit out.

Hetty made a face.

"Who was it that Alexandrov killed?" Kensi asked.

"Agent Jack Laughlin was Mr. Callen's partner. From what we gather, Callen thought his death was his fault."

"How did you find all of this out Hetty?" Nate asked.

"Agent Gibbs had a little chat with a CIA operartive named Trent Kort at the request of Director Vance. Mr. Kort has worked with Callen in the past."

"Now we know who we're looking for, all we have to do is find him," Sam said.

A shrill whistle from upstairs interrupted the conversation. They all looked up to see Eric standing at the rail.

"Guys! I found something!"

Everyone jumped up and nearly ran up the steps into Eric's high tech domain.

Eric was already at the keyboard quickly typing in information.

"I picked this up off of a surveillance camera across the street from the U-Haul lot. The day the truck was stolen someone dropped off the guy who did it! This was definitely not a professional job."

Everyone watched the monitor as a dark colored sedan dropped off a person on the corner and drove away. After looking around for a few minutes the person broke into the truck and stole it.

"He's wearing a mask Eric," Sam said sourly.

Eric smiled. "Yeah, but they forgot to cover the plates on the drop off vehicle."

He hit a few more keys and reversed the footage. Sure enough, there was the plate of the car in full view.

"I ran the plate and got a hit. It belongs to an Evgeny Musalnikov. Guess what? He's a know associate of Sergei Alexandrov. I found an address for him in Pasadena. I also found a property listing for a cabin out by the San Gabriel Reservoir in Angeles National Forest. My money would be on the cabin."

"Yeah, secluded, no nosy neighbors. Can you get us a location Eric?" Sam asked.

"I have a general location from the property records, I should be able to access a GPS satellite and get a visual. It might take me a little time."

"Get that info as fast as you can Mr. Beal. I'll send a team out to the residence in Pasadena just to cover all the bases. Mr. Hanna, start coordinating a tactical team and be ready to go the moment Mr. Beal has that location," Hetty rattled off at lightning speed.

Sam nodded and he, Kensi and Dom headed towards the steps. Hetty started making phone calls and Nate helped Eric work on getting an exact location for the cabin.

**NCIS**

_Tuesday 9:25 pm_

G heard someone coming down the stairs again.

Sergei came into the room with a large butcher knife. Callen's heart began to race and he started to shake.

"Scared now G?"

He walked over and squatted next to Callen again.

"You know G, I had a lot of time on my hands in that prison. It gave me a chance to really think about what I was going to do to your sorry ass once I caught up with you. The first year…"

With that he leaned over and ran the edge of the knife down the inside of Callen's left arm, slicing from his armpit to his wrist.

"I thought about beating your ass senseless. The second…"

He ran the blade down his right arm.

"I decided you deserved so much more."

Callen broke out in a cold sweat as he felt the blood running down his arms. He held back the anguished cry that was trapped in his throat, struggling not to make any sound.

"The third year…"

Sergei sliced a thin line down Callen's right side from his armpit to his hip.

"I thought about shooting you in the head."

He repeated the motion just below the first cut.

"The fourth, I decided that wasn't painful enough."

G could taste fresh blood as he bit into his already busted lip. Sergei cut him one more time on his right side for year five, then three times on his left side for years six, seven and eight. Each cut pushed Callen closer to the edge, Sergei telling him what he had thought about each time he sliced him. The remnants of the salt on his skin made the fresh cuts hurt that much worse. Despite his best efforts, Callen let out a small whimper on the last cut and began to shake.

"Are you having fun yet? Do you want to hear about the last two years?"

"Go to hell Sergei," Callen managed to bite out in anger.

"I don't like your smart mouth Agent Callen!"

G almost bit through his lip and stifled a cry when the knife slashed across his left cheek.

"I think I'll save the last two years for a little later. It will give you something to look forward to."

Sergei stood and once again kicked Callen in the side then left the room.

Callen choked on the sob that was caught in his throat and closed his eyes. He didn't think he could take much more.


	8. Chapter 8

Well, here is the next installment in the train wreck...LOL

There are 12 chapters total, so it will be over soon!

Thanks again to anyone still following this.

_NCIS_NCIS_NCIS

_Tuesday- 10:00 pm_

Hetty hung up the phone and walked over to the group of agents suiting up in tactical gear. Sam looked at her with worry evident in his eyes.

"That was Agent Renko. Musalnikov was at his house. Unfortunately, he opened fire on our agents as they approached and he was killed before he could give any information on Agent Callen. Two of our agents suffered minor injuries, but will be fine. A search of the house came up empty. The white van was found in his garage along with a large amount of gasoline. Apparently he was going to torch it."

Sam frowned and checked the fastenings of his vest. "Sounds like the cabin is going to be our best bet."

Hetty nodded.

Just then Eric came running down the stairs with a bunch of papers in his hand.

"I got it! I found the cabin!"

He handed the papers to Kensi and she began to study them. There were GPS coordinates and topographical maps of the park with the location of the cabin circled in red.

"It's in an isolated spot on the north end of the lake. It will probably take about an hour and a half to two hours to get there. I've already called the Park Police and they are going to meet you guys at the park entrance with a medic unit. They'll lead you guys in because it's so dark up there at night and the roads are kind of dangerous. There are a lot of step drop offs and the road back to the cabin is hard to find in the dark."

Hetty looked around at the team of assembled agents. Sam, Kensi, Dom and Nate were at the front of the group.

"Okay people, let's get out there and bring Mr. Callen home."

Everyone nodded in agreement and started to head for the door.

"Mr. Hanna, I'll be waiting for your update."

"You got it Hetty." Sam hurried to catch up with the rest of the team.

Hetty smiled at Eric. "Good work Eric. Now let's get upstairs and get set up for communications with Mr. Hanna and his team."

Eric nodded and smiled back. "We'll get him back Hetty. I know we will."

The two of them headed up the stairs together.

**NCIS**

_Tuesday- 10:28 pm_

G had dozed off again, exhausted both physically and mentally. He was jolted awake by yet another kick. The brief rest had restored a little of his failing strength and renewed his anger at Sergei.

"What the fuck is it with you and the kicking?"

Sergei laughed. "Still defiant, hey G?"

"Yep."

Once again Sergei squatted down beside Callen. "So where was I?" He pulled the knife from behind his back and looked at the blade in admiration. It was still stained with Callen's blood. "Oh yeah, I remember."

The knife sliced across Callen's stomach just above his navel. G gritted his teeth and swallowed the bile that rose in his throat.

Sergei continued where he left off like he had never left the room.

"By the ninth year, I decided I was really going to make you suffer. I wanted to hear you beg for mercy. I wanted to make your sorry ass hurt more than you could imagine. I think I'm doing a pretty good job so far, but you're a stubborn bastard G Callen. I thought you would have broken by now, but I'm not giving up. You want to know what I came up with last year?"

Callen glared in defiance at Sergei, trying desperately not to break. Despite his efforts, a strangled scream tore from his throat as Sergei stabbed him in his right thigh.

"You mother fucker! You sick fuck! Son of a bitch! I swear I will kill you!"

Sergei laughed at Callen's outburst.

"You really think so G? You know what I think? I think by the time I'm done with you, they won't even be able to identify your body. Just like your partner."

Sergei slapped Callen's already sore and swollen face.

"After I get done with your sorry ass, after I make you beg and plead, I'm going to slit your fucking throat Callen! I'm going to watch you bleed to death and not be able to scream. Then I'm going to dump your body on the doorstep of NCIS headquarters for all your sorry little friends to see."

He slapped Callen again and G managed to spit at Sergei once more.

"Just for that, I'm going to let you lay here and think about things for a while."

Sergei pushed the knife deeper into Callen's thigh and twisted it before pulling it out causing G to scream out in agony. One final sharp kick to his already broken ribs finally pushed G over the edge. He heard Sergei stomp up the stairs then a door slamming. He faintly heard what sounded like a motorcycle starting outside.

G finally began to cry, his body wracked with the force of his sobs. He was in so much pain. Sergei's level of violence was escalating every time he tortured G, it was only a matter of time before he made good on his threat of slitting his throat. Then he realized it was probably never going to get to that point because he knew he was going to bleed to death if he wasn't found soon.

G started talking out loud to no one. "Where are you guys? Please you have to hurry up." Callen lay on the floor in agonizing pain and cried as he hoped his team would find him alive.


	9. Chapter 9

_Tuesday- 11:58 pm_

"We're about ten minutes out Hetty," Sam said as the SUV he, Kensi, Dom and Nate were riding in followed the Park Police truck down the dark, winding road. He wanted to go faster but the darkness and steep drop off to the left prevented them from doing so.

Behind them, two more SUVs carrying NCIS agents, three Park Police vehicles and an ambulance followed.

"Keep me posted Mr. Hanna."

**NCIS**

_Wednesday- 12:00 am_

G had stopped crying a short time ago. Sergei had turned the light off in the basement and the room was completely dark again. He had started to shiver, he felt like he was freezing. He knew his body couldn't take much more abuse. His side still burned furiously and he could feel the wet patch on his jeans gradually spreading as his leg continued to bleed. Blood had continued to pool around him. He had thrown up a few more times, each time worse than the one before.

He knew the internal bleeding was bad and couldn't decide which was worse, having Sergei come back or to lie there and slowly bleed out. He never thought he would go like this. He always imagined if he died while he was young, he would die protecting the people he cared about, not at the hands of a deranged madman. He thought back to the only other time he truly thought he was going to die.

At least when he had been shot, Sam was there to help him. Sam wasn't here this time. In some sick way being shot five times was easier than what he was going through now. At least being shot was quick and was over with before he even had a chance to process what had happened. He had passed out before much of the pain had set in. Even his recovery wasn't as painful as this. This was slow and drawn out, giving him way too much time to think about things. This was unbearably painful. His body wouldn't grant him the blissful release of passing out and staying out. Then again, he realized if he passed out at this point he might not ever wake up again.

Callen knew Sergei was insane and there was no reasoning with him. No matter what he said or did, he was likely going to die alone in that cold basement. He was going to die at the hands of a demented, sick, evil man that he hated with a vengeance.

G didn't want to die. He wanted to see Sam again. He wanted to hug Hetty and Kensi. He wanted to torment Eric about his wardrobe. He wanted to see Dom become a full fledged special agent. Hell, he would even spill his guts to Nate if it meant he would get out of there alive. He wanted to live; he couldn't make them search for nothing. He would make it.

Callen fought the heaviness of his eyelids and forced himself to stay awake. His thoughts betrayed his hopes of making it out of the basement with every passing moment. He was freezing cold, hungry, tired and in excruciating pain, there was no way he would make it out. Eventually the mental and physical exhaustion along with the blood loss caused him to lapse into unconsciousness.

Unaware that his team was minutes away, he faded out, his last thought was he was never going to see his friends again.


	10. Chapter 10

So, I have decided to post the last three chapters at once to get the disaster over with. Thanks!

Oh, yeah- (SPOILER ALERT!) I AM SO PISSED ABOUT NATE! What are they doing? Can't they leave the damn cast alone? BRING BACK NATE! The way he left sucked too! Well, I'll stop now...

_NCIS_NCIS_NCIS

_Wednesday- 12:09 am_

The team approached the cabin with their guns at the ready. The lights were on but there was no sign of movement in side. Sam kicked at the door and held his weapon in his good hand.

"NCIS! Open up!"

There was no response and with a swift, hard kick he broke down the door. He moved into the front room, keeping his weapon at the ready.

"Federal agents! Anybody in here?"

Still no answer.

They swept the first floor, finding no one. By this time Sam noticed the state of the room. He was stunned by what he saw. A bloody butcher knife was lying on the coffee table. Partial bloody footprints were on the floor. Callen's blood stained shirt was in a heap on the floor along with his shoes, badge, watch and gun. Sam's stomach dropped. Nate came in behind him and stopped cold and stared at the carnage.

A shout came from the basement.

"SAM! You better get down here!" Kensi screamed in terror.

Dom came through the basement door looking a little green around the edges. Sam vaguely registered him running out the door and throwing up. Finally Sam snapped. He ran for the basement. Nate ran behind him screaming at him like a madman.

"Sam! Wait! We don't know what's down there."

"G's down there damn it!"

They barreled down the steps and into the small room at the front of the basement. Both of them froze in horror as they went through the door.

"Oh Jesus," Nate said before turning away from the scene.

Kensi and Sam stared at each other in disbelief. Callen's bloody and bruised body lay in a heap, his hands still cuffed to the pipe. He was beaten and cut up so badly that Kensi choked on a sob.

Sam could hear Hetty's voice in his ear asking for an update but he didn't have the heart to answer her.

"Damn it Kensi. Why?"

Kensi walked over to Callen's still form and gently placed her hand on his blood stained cheek. His skin was so cold.

"Oh God Callen. I'm so sorry."

Callen's eyes fluttered slightly and he took a shaky breath.

"Oh my God! He's alive! Sam, he's alive! Get the medics down here now! Sam, find a key for these cuffs, quick!"

Sam shouted at Nate to get the paramedics and fished in his pocket for a key to open the handcuffs. He gave it to Kensi and watched as she unlocked them.

Callen let out a moan as she gently removed the cuffs from his badly injured wrists. His right hand was nearly purple from the cuffs being so deeply embedded into his swollen wrist. She then removed the duct tape wrapped around his lower legs and ankles. He started to speak, his voice hoarse and barely audible.

"Get away from me! "

Kensi gently stroked his forehead. "Easy G, it's over, we've got you."

"No! Leave me alone!"

Kensi continued to stroke his forehead. "Shh, it's okay G, it's me, it's Kensi. Sam's here too."

Callen seemed to recognize Kensi'd voice as he calmed a little. He took a shaky breath.

"Please, I don't want to die. Don't let me die."

"G, I promise you won't die."

She glanced up at Sam, knowing her promise was one she shouldn't make. The truth was, looking at the extent of his injuries and the amount of blood surrounding him, she wasn't sure if he would survive the trip to the hospital.

Kensi gently took his hand and softy rubbed her thumb over the back of it. Not even having the strength to squeeze her hand, Callen finally broke down completely, sobbing furiously as Kensi tried to soothe him.

They heard the medics rushing down the steps and Sam moved aside so they could get to G. When Kensi released his hand so the medics could tend to him, he freaked.

"No! Don't leave me here! Please I don't want him to hurt me anymore!"

Sam stepped forward.

"G! We're right here man, we got you. Calm down we're here, nobody is going to hurt you again, okay? Just calm down and let the medics help you. They won't hurt you, I promise."

Callen must have understood Sam; he settled down slightly. The next few minutes were a blur as the medics worked swiftly to get him stable and on a backboard. Kensi sobbed into Sam's chest as Callen was carried up the steps.

"Come on Kenz, G needs us," Sam said quietly before the two of them followed.

Nate and Dom had alerted Hetty and Eric to the severity of Callen's injuries and the life flight chopper was en route. Callen was being loaded into the ambulance for the trip to the park entrance, which had a lighted parking lot where the chopper could safely land, when he started to freak out again.

"Sam! Don't let them take me!"

Sam hurried to Callen's side and took his left hand in his.

"I'm here man, it's all right, you're safe."

Callen calmed slightly but was still agitated.

"It hurts so bad. Make it stop hurting Sam."

Finally the tears broke from Sam's eyes. "I know man, just hang on."

Sam kept his grip on G's hand the entire time it took to get to the hospital, even in the chopper. The life flight crew had tried to keep him from going but he put up enough of a fight and flashed his badge to get his way. Just as they approached the hospital, Callen's heart rate plummeted and he was in full cardiac arrest by the time they landed.


	11. Chapter 11

Callen was rushed into treatment and Sam was forced to the waiting area. He sat in silence, the tears quietly streaming down his cheeks. How in hell could this happen twice? It seemed like only yesterday he was sitting in the same damn waiting room, covered in his partner's blood, waiting to find out if G would survive. Being listed as Callen's next of kin since he had no family, Sam knew it would fall to him if anything went terribly wrong, but he didn't know if he could make any extreme decisions regarding G.

Sam thought to himself that G Callen had to be the unluckiest person in the world.

Less than ten minutes later a doctor quickly updated him. They had been able to get Callen's heart going again but he was in extremely bad shape. He was being taken straight to surgery for internal bleeding. She didn't elaborate much more, having to rush off to care for G.

The others arrived about two hours after Sam was banished to the waiting room. When they saw Sam had been crying they thought the worst. Sam had relayed what had happened while they were in the chopper and what the doctor had told him. The team stood in shock at the prospect of yet again loosing Callen.

They all settled in for what they knew would be a very long wait.

**NCIS**

Three hours later, there was still no word on things.

Kensi sat with her head on Nate's shoulder, her eyes red and puffy, Nate just stared off into space. Eric absently pulled at a piece of string on his shorts. Dom paced back and forth in the small room. Hetty sat quietly, pretending to read as she leafed through a battered magazine.

Everyone was on the verge of passing out from sheer exhaustion.

Sam sat quietly by himself, his anger and grief still controlling his mind, unable to clearly think about anything important.

**NCIS**

Forty minutes passed and Kensi woke up from the light doze she had fallen into when she heard someone call Sam's name.

Everyone jumped to their feet as the doctor from earlier walked towards them.

"Mr. Hanna, sorry we weren't properly introduced earlier but Mr. Callen needed to be tended to in a hurry. Doctor Christine Stokes."

Sam nodded and shook the doctor's hand and questioned about Callen.

Doctor Stokes gave him an unsettled look. "Mr. Callen is in recovery at the moment. He's still very touch and go. Once we feel he's stable enough he'll be moved to the ICU."

"ICU?" Kensi blurted out. "How bad is he?"

"Right now he needs to be monitored closely. The good news is he is breathing on his own and won't need a ventilator. His heart rate seems to have stabilized and he stayed with us for the entire surgery. However, there was a lot of damage to repair. He had some internal damage from his broken ribs. One of the bone fragments lacerated his kidney causing him to bleed internally. We were able to save it, but we need to keep a close eye on his kidney function as well as watching for any increase in blood in his urine. He was severely dehydrated and lost a lot of blood so we are giving him plenty of fluids and a few units of blood to get his system back in order and to help flush the kidney. He also had a very deep stab wound to his right thigh that clipped a vein and did some muscle and nerve damage. We repaired the vein, but he is going to need extensive therapy to regain full use of his leg."

She paused a moment and looked at Callen's chart and taking in the concerned looks of everyone before continuing.

"Most of the cuts to his body and arms were shallow enough that they did not require stitches but they were on the verge of infection. While we had him under we irrigated the wounds and treated them with some heavy duty topical antibiotics. His wrists were damaged pretty badly as well. His right wrist is broken but we can't put it in a cast until the skin heals. Circulation was cut off to his hand for some time he will probably have some neurological damage. We won't know the full extent until the wrist heals and we can test his range of motion and sense of feeling. There were extensive facial and head injuries. He has a major concussion, a broken nose and a broken cheek bone. He also needed a few stitches in the cuts on his face and a few to his bottom lip. Right now our primary concern is secondary infection. He has so many open wounds that he is very prone. We'll keep him on heavy antibiotics and keep him sedated for a while so he won't be in so much pain and to give his body a chance to rest. We will gradually lighten up the sedation and he should be awake in a day or two. He has a very long road ahead of him, but overall he should recover physically."

Sam nodded, absorbing all of the information just relayed to him. He was relieved that G was going to pull through but knew it was going to be tough going for him. The bastard had really done a number on Callen, not just physically either. Doctor Stokes looked at Sam again.

"Mr. Callen was very lucky. I'll be honest with you, if it would have taken much longer to find him, he would have bled out."

Sam nodded again knowingly.

"Is there anything else I need to know about his medical history that may not be in his records?"

"He can't tolerate morphine. It makes him extremely sick."

The doctor made a notation on Callen's chart.

"When can we see him?" Kensi asked quietly.

"He'll be in recovery for a while longer then we will move him to the critical care unit. I can let one or two of you in at a time once he has been stabilized."

"Thank you Doctor Stokes. Will you let us know when we can go up?" Hetty piped up.

"Sure. As soon as he's settled I'll send someone down."

Everyone thanked the doctor and returned to their chairs to wait some more.

_NCIS_NCIS_NCIS

One more to go, thanks if you're still following...


	12. Chapter 12

Everyone looked up expectantly when the elevator opened. A nurse stepped off and asked if they were there for Callen. After telling her yes, they all piled on the elevator and went up to the ICU. The nurse informed them that only two people would be allowed at one time and they could stay no longer than five minutes.

Sam and Kensi were the first ones to go in. Kensi immediately felt the tears run down her cheeks at the sight of Callen. He was nearly unrecognizable. Ugly purple bruises and stitches marred his normally handsome face. The cuts on his neck were visible. His arms and chest were wrapped up in white bandages and there was a splint on his right wrist. His fingers still had a slight purplish hue to them. Several IV lines were attached giving him the fluids and medications he needed. Kensi could sense Sam tense up next to her.

They walked to Callen's bedside. Kensi gently reached over and stroked Callen's head. "We're here for you G, you hang in there."

"Hey G," Sam spoke softly. "I'm sorry man, I let you down. You should never have had to go through all of this."

Sam sighed and Kensi knew he was angry with himself.

"We could have saved him so much suffering Kensi."

"Sam, don't…"

Before Kensi could finish, Sam turned and left the room.

Kensi shook her head and looked back at Callen. She very carefully leaned down and softly kissed his forehead. "You keep fighting G, you'll get through this. I know you will."

She gently squeezed his hand before leaving the room. When she reached the hall, Sam was nowhere to be seen. Everyone looked at each other knowing how hard Sam was taking it. Nate shook his head and Kensi realized Sam must have warned him not to follow him.

"I'll go talk to him," Kensi sighed and walked down the hall to look for Sam.

Dom and Eric went in to see Callen. Eric felt his stomach tighten at the sight of Callen lying bruised and bandaged in the bed. Dom had never known someone who was so badly injured and wasn't quite sure what to say or do. Eric walked over to Callen.

"Hey man, I'm glad we got you back. We're all here for you Callen, whatever you need."

Dom stepped up next to Eric. "You hang in there Callen. I know you'll get through this."

The two of them stood for a few more seconds then returned to the hall. Nate and Hetty were the last two to enter Callen's room. Hetty took a deep breath.

"Dear God, what did that animal do to him?" she asked to no one in particular. She walked over to G and gently took his hand in hers. Nate stood beside her and put his hand on her shoulder.

"He'll make it Hetty. You know G as well as I do. He's tough and he's not giving up without a fight. "

Hetty nodded as she gently caressed the back of G's hand with her thumb.

"You stay strong Mr. Callen. We'll be here waiting for you to come back to us."

They stood quietly for a few minutes before Hetty placed a light kiss on Callen's hand and squeezed it gently. She placed his hand back on the bed and she and Nate walked back out to the hall.

To everyone's surprise Hetty sat down in the chair just outside the room and broke into tears. Nate gently rubbed her shoulder as Eric and Dom stood in awkward silence.

"Don't worry Hetty, we'll get him thorough this," Nate said quietly.

Hetty nodded slightly and wiped the tears from her cheeks.

"Indeed we will Mr. Getz."

**NCIS**

Kensi caught up with Sam just outside the doors to the ER.

"Sam!"

He slowed his pace but didn't stop and Kensi picked up her own pace to reach his side.

"You know this is not your fault right?"

"We should have found him sooner. I let him down Kensi. I promised him after he got shot I would never let him get hurt again, that I would have his back."

"Sam, you know in our line of work…"

"Yeah Kensi, I know!"

Kensi was taken aback by Sam's outburst.

Sam sighed. "I'm sorry Kenz."

"Just stop it Sam, we did the best we could. Don't you dare blame yourself or anyone else on the team for any of this. If you want to blame anyone, blame the psycho who did this to Callen."

Sam finally stopped and turned to face Kensi.

"Do you think he'll be all right?"

"I think he might need some help along the way. Good thing he has such a great group of people for support."

Sam nodded. "You realize that between his hand and his leg he'll probably never qualify as a field agent again."

"We'll have to cross that bridge when we get there. Right now we just need to stay positive and encourage Callen to recover. You know it's not going to be easy."

"Yeah, even after the physical injuries heal, his head is going to be a mess. That bastard really did a number on him. Maybe Nate can help him. I know G trusts Nate more than he would some other doctor."

"I'm sure Nate will do everything he can to help. Everybody will do what they can. We'll get him through this Sam. It's going to take time, but I think we can do it."

Sam just nodded again.

"Come on, let's go back inside."

She held her hand out and Sam took it and together they headed back inside to Callen's room.

**NCIS**

Once the two of them met up again with the rest of the team they discussed where they stood as far as Sergei Alexandrov was concerned. He had not shown back up at the cabin and the Park Police and NCIS were planning a full search of the park as soon as day broke. Hetty had called for two agents to be stationed at the entrance to the ICU as a precaution. Sam had also stated he was not going to leave until Callen did. No one argued with him, as they knew it would be a waste of time.

Eventually, Kensi, Nate, Dom and Eric went home to get some much needed sleep (after Hetty ordered them to) with the promise they would be back to check on G the next day. Hetty stayed a short while longer to make sure all the necessary safe guards were in place to protect her agents.

Sam settled himself in the chair across the room from Callen and watched his partner laying silently in a drug induced sleep. He knew G was going to have a lot to deal with when he woke up and made a promise to be there every step of the way.

_NCIS_NCIS_NCIS

So, that's the end. I know this sucked, I realized it about halfway through but figured I'd post the whole thing anyway for anyone who _was_ reading it. (I might delete it.) Oh well, I tried to write something different and it didn't quite work out the way I wanted. I guess I'll stick to what I do better, ones shots and smut! LOL.

Well, thanks to anyone who actually followed this to the end and to anyone who actually liked it. Also thanks to everyone who was honest enough to say this sucked!

Don't look for the second part any time soon (if at all) as I have changed my mind about posting it.

Oh yeah, ONE MORE TIME-BRING NATE BACK DAMN IT!

Well, bye for now!


End file.
